Record player with an automatic record changer



July 20, 1954 A. J. JAHNCKE I RECORD PLAYER WITH AN AUTOMATIC RECORD CHANGER 7 Filed April 1'4, 1949 -FIG. I

8 SheetsSheet l Im/entor: Albert J. Jahncke Attovngy y 1954 A. J. JAHNCKE 2,684,248

RECORD PLAYER WITH AN AUTOMATIC RECORD CHANGER Filed April 14, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Im/entov: when A. Jnhnake July 20, 1954 A. J JAHNCKE 2,684,248

RECORD PLAYER WITH AN AUTOMATIC RECORD CHANGER Filed April 14, 1949 s Sheets-Sheet 3 Indeniav: Allaeht J- Jahncke y 1954 A. J. JAHNCKE 2,684,248

RECORD PLAYER WITH AN AUTOMATIC RECORD CHANGER Filed April 14, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 l 711]!!! I 9 K 4 r 3 g 49 ms: 5 m

l Qzi, s w x 54 z IhVentor:

Attovney Amer-i J- Jahncke y 1954 A.J.JAHNCKE 2,684,248 RECORD PLAYER WITH AN AUTOMATIC RECORD CHANGER Filed April 14, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 I! l I 1 i 3 L lfim Ins/enter mbenJJa e Attorney July 20, 19 4 A. J. JAHNCKE RECORD PLAYER WITH AN AUTOMATIC RECORD CHANGER Im/enkqv: A\\aer-t J. Jahncke 8 SheetsSh eet 6 Filed April 14, 1949 Attorney July 20, 1954 A. J. JAHNCKE RECORD PLAYER WITH AN AUTOMATIC REC ORD CHANGER 8 Sheets-Sheet '7 Filed April 14, 1949 W nam um Indefitor Anmt .s. Jamcge 1W Attorney y 1954 A. J. JAHNCKE 2,684,248

RECORD PLAYER WITH AN AUTOMATIC RECORD CHANGER FIG. 10

ABerf J- Jal'meke VA 1 m Atto ney Patented July 20, 1954 RECORD PLAYER WITH AN AUTOMATIC REGORD CHANGER Albert John Jahncke, Crissier-Renens, Switzerland, assignor to Hermann Thorens Societe Anonyme, Sainte Croix, Switzerland, a firm of Switzerland Application April 14, 1949, Serial No. 87,442

Claims priority, application Switzerland April 16, 1948 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to a record player with an automatic record changer. The term record player is used broadly to include phonographs as Well as record playing apparatus of radio-phonograph combinations, public address systems, telephone or radio broadcasting systems and other sound reproducing arrangements. In particular, the invention relates to a record player in which a stack of records in reserve rest above the turntable on a support surface presented by a shaft passing through the center holes of the records, the stack of records in reserve being held in place on the support surface by a record pressing table which fits on the said central shaft. In accordance with the invention, the record pressing table comprises a device intended to block the pick-up in its outgoing travel, when the last record of the stack in reserve has been played. This blocking of the pick-up effects the stopping of the motor of the record player.

The accompanying drawings represent, by way of example, a mode of execution of the record player which is the object of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general view in front elevation of the record player.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view.

Fig. 4 is a section through the blocking device of the pick-up at the end of the stack of records, being taken approximately on the line IVIV in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an axial section through the supporting device of the record-carrying shaft on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 6 is an axial section through the recordcarrying shaft.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation with parts in section through the drive device of the turntable.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the assembled mechanism of the record player on the line VIIIVIII in Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the stopping mechanism, in the blocking position of the pick-up.

10 is a section on the line X-X in Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a section on line XIXI of Fig. 8, and

Fig. 12 is a section on line XJIXII of,Fig. 8.

In the drawings, there is shown a record player having a base plate I resting on feet 2 and under which there is mounted a motor 3 which drives the turntable 4 by means of a friction driving wheel 5, the rim of which is provided with a rubber tire and is held elastically against the inner side of the rim 4' of the turntable. A pick-up t is carried by an arm I, pivoted around an axis 8 which can be oblique to the vertical in such a way that at least a part of its outgoing travel to bring the pick-up to the outside of the record periphery at the end of each playing is eifected under the influence of gravity.

9 designates a record from a stack of records in reserve resting above the turntable 4 on the horizontal support surface H) of a straight shaft H passing through the center holes of the records in line with the axis of the turntable 4. The reserve records 9 are held horizontally on the support surface ID by a record pressing table l2 in the form of a three-armed star having a hub l3 slidable on the upper end of the recordcarrying shaft I l.

The record-carrying shaft (illustrated in section in Fig. 6) has a hollow lower end in which there is mounted a lifter rod [4, capable of sliding axially against the action of a coil spring l5 which is mounted on the lower end of the lifter rod projecting from the shaft H, and acts between a collar i6 and the end of the shaft H. The spring [5 tends to move the lifter rod i4 downwardly. The upper end of the lifter rod it carries a transverse pin in contact with an inclined plane l8, which is presented by the lower end of a lever l8 lodged in a diametric longitudinal slit IS in the shaft II, and pivoted around a pin 20 fixed in the shaft H. The angular displacement of the lever I 8 is limited by another pin 2|, fixed in the walls of the slit l9 and engaged in a. hole 22 of the lever l8. A pin spring 23 tends to hold the lever H3 in the position illustrated in Fig. 6, in which its upper end, the terminal surface iii" of which is located above the supporting surface It on which the lower record 9 of the stack of records in reserve rests, is disengaged from this supporting surface and projects from the shaft II on the opposite side of the shaft from said surface ID. This prevents the dropping of the first record of the stack. The longitudinal slit [9 extends above the supporting surface I0 which is formed by a notch 24 in the shaft H, but the upper part of the slit extends only part way through the shaft, its back 19' being arched forming a gliding surface of a small slider 25 in the form of a circular segment lodged in this upper part of the slit 9. The slider 25 is connected with the shaft H by a transverse pin 27 which is fixed in the shaft and extends through a longitudinal slit 26 in the member 2a. In its lower position illustrated in Fig. 6, the lower end of the small slider 25 emerges from the shaft i i at the opposite side of the supporting surface it and holds the next to the last record of the reserve stack against any lateral displacement when, under the action of the delivery mechanism, the lifter is acting from the bottom upwards through its pin l'i on the inclined plane is of the lever 53, forces the latter to pivot clockwise in order to push the lower record it of the stack out of engagement with the supporting surface it in order to allow it to descend to the turntable i. When the pile of records is completely discharged, the records can be removed from the shaft ii or be raised up into the position of reserve, upward movement of the records being permitted by the swing of the lever it into the slot is and by the movement of the small slider 25 by sliding up wards on the arched back is of the slot 8. The shape of the slider and slots is such that upward movement of the slider causes it to be retractinto the shaft.

The upper end of the shaft l i has still another longitudinal slot 28, perpendicular to the slot is, and in which the end of the pin 21 is made to project in order to serve as stop limiting the descent of the record pressing table if, when the stack of records in reserve tis completely discharged. She plate i2 is connected through its hub l3 with the upper end of the shaft ii. A key held in the hub is by a screw 3i engages in the slot 28 of the shaft ii and thus not only joins the record presser l2 with this shaft angularly but also limits the descent of the record presser i2 by coming into abutment with the pin 2'1, when the last record of reserve has left the supporting surface Iii. The record pressing plate 12 rests on the reserve records by means of three rubber cushions 32*, 32, the first two of which are attached at the ends. of two of its arms, while the third, 32, is attached at the end of a lever 33 pivoted on a pin is extending transversely between downwardly projecting side flanges of one arm of the plate i2. The lever 33 can pivot freely on the pin 34, but its angular displacement is limited by its inner end 33 which, when the lever is. free to fall as a result of the descent of the last record of the stack, comes to abut against the lower side of the corresponding arm of the plate i2, as illustrated in Fig. 4. When the lever 33 has dropped, at the end of the stack, its rubber cushion 3'2 is disposed in the path which the pick-up i is supposed to pass through after the playing of the last record. Ihe pick-up ii has a lateral lobe or projection 35 which is adapted to abut against the cushion 32. Since the record pressing plate i2 is joined angularly with the shaft H which, as will be explained further on, can turn only under the action ofa relatively high torque that can only be applied to it manually, the pick-up is thus blocked in its outgoing travel at the end of he stack by the cushion 32 of the lever 33. In

order to block the pick-up, the arm of the.

record pressing plate l2 which carries the lever 33 should be in the angular position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 2, the position which it 00- cupies during the entire running of the machine. In order to disconnect the pick-up out of the range of the records, it is sufficient to turn the plate [2 clockwise in order to bring it into the position illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, which is the position of the machine at rest.

The shaft H is mounted elastically on a platform 36 attached to the base 5 through four columns 3'1, 38, 39 and 59. t carries on its lower end a collar 4! attached by two screws 42 and having an angular flange ll through which the shaft rests on the edges of a hole 43 cut into the platform 38. The flange ll is supported against this platform by means of a spring washer is resting against a flange lii attached tothe platform 36 by two screws 56. This suspending arrangement of the shaft it permits it to bend at a certain angle, for example under the influence of a shock, without any damage resulting to it. Moreover, the spring washer is has the purpose of creating a friction couple between the flange ill and the platform 36, powerful enough so that the shaft H can be turned only by a rather large force so that it is not possible to make it turn except with the help of the record pressing plate i2 mounted on its upper end and driving it by the key 36 engaged in the slot 28 in the shaft. The pivoting of the shaft H is moreover limited angularly by a pin 4? placed in the flange 45 and engaging in an opening at in the form of an annular segment in the platform 36. The pin it has also another function which consists in controlling a series of levers, which will be explained later.

The turntable l is mounted by its hub l on an exteriorly conical barrel shaft as, turning freely on the shaft ii and supported by a ball bearing 553. The shaft d9 carries a catch iii riveted on its lower end and holding in place a friction device mounted on the shaft and serving to attach to the said barrel a gear 52 serving to drive the control cam 553 of the cycle of the changer. This friction device comprises a small wheel 5 t serving as support for a helical spring intended to force the gear 52 downwards against a small wheel of felt pressed closely into a metallic cup 5? engaging through two spurs 5'? in a diametric slot 58 of the gear The small wheel of felt rests on the catch 54. This friction device permits the gear 52 to turn with a certain frictional force on the barrel Gil, thus avoiding the jerks due to the inertia of the plate 4 loaded with records at the time the motor stops at the end of the stack of records in reserve. This friction is necessary by reason of the fact that the stopping device of the pick-up arm works when the motor is still under tension. Moreover, even after the current is out, the turntable would continue, owing to its inertia, to operate the mechanism if this friction was not existant.

The mechanism controlling the automatic stopping of the motor when all the records i reserve have been played, and the starting up of the machine for a new series of heari comprises the following parts illustrated in Pigures 8 to 12. A lever 59 slides longitudinally on the platform 36 by virtue of the engagement of two rollers Eli and ti turning on corresponding pins 653 and ti affixed to the lever 59 and to the platform 36 respectively, in longitudinal slots 62 and 63 out into the platform 36 and the lever 59. respectively. The sliding lever 59 is controlled by a connecting rod 64, one end of which is pivoted on a pin 65 on the lever 59, on which it is held by a clip 66, and the other end of which is joined to a crankpin 61 carried by the gear cam 53 of the cycle control, turning on an axis 68 attached to the platform 36. The sliding lever 59 comprises a lateral small plate 59' which has two pins 1!, l2 engaged in two oblique slots 69 and iii of a small slide I3. The slide I3 is capable of being displaced transversely of the longitudinal axis of the sliding lever 59. A spring it attached to a lobe 15 of the lever 59 and to a lobe I6 of the small slide I3 tends to bring the slide l3 back towards the side of lever 59.

The pick-up arm I is pivoted at [I4 on two parallel lobes H2 and H2 of a clamp H2. It is around this horizontal axis I I 4 that the pick-up arm pivots during the playing of a record in accordance with the irregularities of the surface of this record and the variable lever determined by the successive stacking of records on the turntable t. The pivoting of the arm I in a horizontal plane is around the axis 8 through the intermediary of two screws with conical points I I5 and i 55 attached to two other parallel lobes I I2 and i I2 of the clamp I I2 and through a cylindrical projection Ht attached to a bent piece IIl'. This latter piece is in turn attached to a bent lever 98 pivoting through two parallel lobes 98 and 9& on a clamp i8 attached to the base plate 1. By acting on the end 08 of the lever 98 one can thus cause this lever to pivot towards the right around a horizontal axis II I, carrying with it the vertical axis of pivoting 8 of the arm of the pick-up. A spring H3 attached to the end I8 of an arm it joined to the clamp I l2 then makes contact with the bottom or" the arm of the pick-up l and is raised.

A vertical pin ll attached to the horizontal branch I8 of the arm 18 is disposed in the path which the small slide '53 traverses on 59 and, when it is pushed by the slide 13, the pin 5? causes the pivoting towards the left of the acoustic arm which brings back the pick-up 6 towards the periphery of the records. It is also this pin I! which, when the pick-up is blocked at the end of the stack by the cushion 32 of the blocking lever it, causes the small slide I3 to slide transversely to the lever 59 in opposition to the action of the return spring M in order to accomplish a function which will be explained later on. A circuit breaker is is inserted into the circuit of the motor 3, the wires of which are attached to the terminals 851 and 8 This circuit breaker comprises two press-buttons SI and 82, the first producing the opening of the circuit and the stoppage of the motor, the second closin the circuit and the application of current to the motor. A control branch 83 of the circuit breaker it is frictionally pivoted on a pin 84 carried by a lever 85. At its free end, the branch 83, which is arranged above the platform 36, has two lobes 83 and 33 bent at right angles, intended to act, the first on the button 8! and the second on the button. 82 of the circuit breaker I9, depending on the position of the branchv The pin 84 (Figure 12) is riveted to the lever 85 underneath the platform 36 through which it passes freely. it rests on the platform through a bearin 84 Between the bearing 84* and the small branch there is arranged a rubber washer 84* against which the branch 83 is pressed by a helical spring 85 hearin on a clip 8! pressed closely to the upper end of the pin 84. The connection of the branch 83 with the lever 85 is thus assured by a friction device. The lever 85 has on its free end an opening 88 limited by two arms 89- and 89 between which fits the curved arm 98 which forms the end of an arm 90 MP, 96, pivoted on a pin 9| attached under the platform 35. The arm 90 of this lever 90 has at its free end a notch 92 into which fits the pin 41 of the record-carrying shaft II. The arm of the lever 80 has, at its free end, a transverse slot 93 in which fits a hooked end of a strip 9-4, the other end of which is hooked in a hole 95 of a bent lever 95 pivoted on a pin 91 attached underneath the bent piece 98 which is part of the support of the vertical axis of pivoting of the acoustic arm l. One of the arms 96* of the bent lever 96 is held under the action of a sprin 99 attached at it to the stage 36. The other arm 96* of the bent lever 96 cooperates with a pin IUI joined to a lever I62 pivoted at I63 by means of a barrel iot riveted on I82 and carryin at its other end the selecting shaft I04. This selection device ltd, Hi2, IfiI acts through the pin Iii! to limit the course of the bent lever 95 depending on whether the record falling from the supporting surface It on the turntable 4 is a 12-inch record or a 10-inch record. By means of the bent lever 96, the selection device determines the initial playing position of the pick-up. In fact when it pivots to the right under the action of its spring 99, the bent lever 96 is capable of acting on the pin ll joined to the bent arm It forming the stem of the acoustic arm I.

The sliding lever 59 has on its side a lobe 885 bent at right angles and comprising an inclined plane I05 intended to cooperate with the curved end 98 of the bent piece 98 in order to effect downward movement of the acoustic arm I. This movement, as moreover the entire cycle of the changer including the bringing of the reserve record to the turntable 4, is controlled by the cam 53 rotated by the gear 52 at the end of the playing of each record.

The functioning of the record player with automatic record changes, which has just been de scribed, is as follows:

Supposing the record player is in the process of playing a record, for example the eighth of a series of ten records, the last two of which are still resting on the supporting surface I!) of the shaft I I. At the end of the playing of this eighth record, the fast-thread groove of this record im- Darts a sudden motion towards the center to the pick-up and acts through the automatic connecting mechanism, which has been mentioned and of which the catch 5! is a part, to cause the connection of the cam 53 with the gear 52. The cam 53, acting by means of the connecting rod B l on the slidin lever 59, pushes the latter towards the support of the acoustic arm l. The inclined plane 055 of the lobe I55 of the lever 59 acts on the curved end 98 of the bent piece 98 joined to the support of the vertical axis of pivoting 8 of the arm, the support in turn be-- ing pivoted around the horizontal axis Ill. The pick-up 6 is thus raised from the record which has just been played. Simultaneously the slid ing lever 59 pushes, through the small slide 73, against the end of the pin 11 joined to the bent arm l8 forming the stem of the acoustic arm l, causing the latter to pivot around the axis 8 which has been inclined. The pick-up leaves the periphery of the records. The cam 53 then acts by means of a lever, not shown, on the lifter M which, sliding upwards in the shaft I l, causes the lever 8 to pivot; this frees the ninth record from the supporting surface In and allows it to 7 descend on the first eight records resting on the turntable The last record of the reserve stack takes the place of the ninth on the sur face ii; where it is held horizontally by the record-pressing plate it which rests on it by the three cushions 32 32 and 32. The earn 53 having accomplished half a turn, the sliding lever 59 is brought back by the connecting rod 6 leaving free the pin i! which is brought back by the lever 85 returned by the spring 9%, while the inclined plane 565' is passed through from top to bottom by the bent piece 98. The pickup 5 returns therefore to engage the exterior grooves of the ninth record. The initial playing position of the pick-up is determined by the course of the lever as limited by the pin iii of the lever 02 of selection, the shaft Hi l of which is activated by the passage by the ninth record, if this record is a 12-inch record, and is left in place, if this r cord is a -inch record. The complete cycle of the changer being accomplished when the cam 53 has completed a turn, this cam is again automatically disconnected from the gear by the above mentioned mechanism, and the pick-up S plays the ninth record. At the end of the playing of this ninth record, the same cycle is repeated in its entirety; the pick-up ll rises, leaves the periphery of the records and returns to engage the exterior grooves of the last record which, in the meantime, has descended on a d activated by the connecting rod 34 of the sliding lever as acting at the same time on the piece $53 by means of its inclined plane 565' onthe pin ll joined to the bent arm is by means f the anterior side of the small slide "E3. The pick-up it rises and starts its usual outward motion, but its lobe comes into abutment with the cushion 32 of the lever 33 carried by the record-pressing plate i2. Because of the descent of the last record, this lever is no longer held up and has fallen into the position illustrated in Figure The pick-up 6 being blocked, the pin ll which is joined to the acoustic arm is immobilised. the cam continues to turn, the sliding lever 9 continues to move towards the outside, and the spring it yields, the small slide always in contact with the pin ii, is displaced obliquely and comes to activate the lobe St of the branch 83 which pivots on the pin and activates the button 8i of the circuit breaker opening the circuit of the motor and stopping the latter. At the moment the current is cut, the turntable lcontinues to turn due to inertia. The cam 53 being immobilized in a position in which it is still in with the gear 52, the friction device mounted on the barrel 49 permits the latter to turn a little further in relation to the gear 52 while progressively braking it. Figure 9 shows the different parts of the stopping mechanism at the end of the stack of records in the position which they occupy at the moment when the current has just been cut. The pivoting of the branch 8;; towards the right did not activate the lever 85 because of the friction device mounted on the pin 8 and because the arm of the arm 96 of the lever'in the form of star 99 is located in the opening 88 of the lever 35, against the arm 85 of this lever, which can be considered stationary at this moment. The pin i joined to the record-carrying shaft H is located at the left end (in Figures 8 and 9) of the opening :28 in the platform 36; a' position corre- 8 sponding to the operating position of the record player and to the position illustrated in full lines in Figure 2 of the record-pressing plate E2. The pin ll engaged in t -e slot 92 of the arm 93* of the star lever at has kept this lever in the position illustrated in the Figures 8 and 9.

The motor having been stopped, in order to load the record-carrying shaft anew, either by again mounting the records already played, or by placing others on the shaft l l after having withdrawn the played records, it is first necessary to release the pick-up 6 from the blocking cushion 32 in order to permit the passage of the played records upwards along the shaft H. In order to release the pick-up which, once it is free, goes by itself to the outside of the periphery of the records, the record-pressing plate 12 is turned by hand in a clock-wise dir ction indicated in Figure 2 by the arrow in order to bring it into the position illustrated by dotted lines in this drawing. By this maneuver the pin fill joined to the shaft ll, which is rotated by the key 38 of the plate 12, is displaced in the opening it; in the direction indicated by the arrow 7 in Figure 9 and comes to stop at the right end of this opening. Driven to the left by the pin 57, the star lever 9t exerts a pull by means of its arm 90 on the strip M, which causes the lever 55 to pivot to the left around 97, and this lever leaves the pin ll joined to the acoustic arm '5 -free tobecome displaced towards the outside, the slanting of the axis of pivoting B of this arm permitting the pick-up to swin out by its f beyond the periphery of the recor This displacement of the pin l? is moreover favored by the thrust of the small slide 73 which reassunies its position along the side of the sliding lever under the action or" its return spring 1%. It should be noted that the pivoting or the star lever cc to the left displaces the arm Q0 of its arm 953* in the opening tit of the lever until it engages the arm 83 of this lever. The resulting displacement of the lever 85 to the right does not produce any corresponding displacement of the branch 83 which is already at the end of its movement, but is absorbed by the friction device mounted on the pin 8 3.

In order to again start the record player after the records have been changed, it is sufficient to turn the plate E12 by hand in a counterclockwise direction to the position illustrated in full lines in Figure 2. This rotation of the plate :2 brings back the pin ti to the left end of the opening d8 into the position illustrated in Figure 9.

The arm 96 of the arm fill of the star lever is displaced by this rotation in the opening 38 of the lever 85 and has pushed the arm thus causing this lever 35 to pivot to the left. Because of the friction mounted on the pin 8 t, this rotation is transmitted to the branch 83, the lobe 83 of which presses on the button 82 of the circuit breaker 79, closing the circuit of the motor 3 and putting the motor into operation. The motor drives the turntable l through the friction d *iving wheel 5 and the table l drives the barrel 59 and the gear 52 which enmeshes with the cam 53. This activates the lifter rod i 2 w ich causes the record to be played to descend onto the turntable i, and, through the connecting rod E l, it activates the sliding lever at the same time. This lever is displaced first to the outside, pushing the pin ll joined to the acoustic arm back to the outside, so that t'.e pick-up does not obstruct the descent of the record. In its movement, the pin ll drives the bent lever 96 which by pivotingto the left, displaces the strip 94 through its curved end at 95, the other end of the said strip being displaced in the slot 93 of the arm 90 of the star lever 96!. The lever 59 is then displaced towards the inside. The rotation of the pin 47 to the left produces a rotation to the right or the star lever 9d, the arm tit of which no longer pulls on the strip 94. The bent lever 96, returned by the spring 539, pivots to the right and pushes the pin Ti joined to the acoustic arm towards the inside until the arm 96* of the said lever 95 comes into engagement with the pin Hit of the selecting lever Hi2 which limits its course and determines the initial position of play of the pick-up depending on whether the record which has just descended on the turntable 4 is a is or' 12-inch record.

It will be noted that the mechanism described above, producing the stopping of the motor automatically at the end of the stack of records, could be activated manually in order to stop the motor and consequently the machine at no matter what moment, whether there are still records in reserve on the shaft H or whether there are not. In order to do this, it is necessary only to turn the record-pressing plate i2 by hand in the direction of the arrow (Figure 2). By this rotation, the pin 4'! which, when the machine is running, is always in the position represented in Figure 9 at the left end of the opening lS, is displaced in this opening to its right end following the arrow and drives the star lever iii! to the left. The arm til of this latter acts on the arm ii9 of the lever 85 making the latter pivot to the right. The rotation of the lever 85 is transmitted to the branch 83 which pivots to the right, pressing by means of its lobe 83 on the button 8| of the circuit breaker which cuts the current of the motor. By means of the strip 94, the rotation of the star lever 96 also produces the rotation of the lever 96 to the left against the action of its spring 99. The pin 7'! of the acoustic arm remains in the position which it occupies at the moment of the maneuver of the plate I2 and the pick-up therefore remains also in the position which it occupies at that moment.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a talking machine with automatic record changer comprising a frame, a pick-up arm pivotally mounted on said frame, so as to be able to effect horizontal and vertical displacements, a pick-up head secured at the free extremity of said pick-up arm, a turntable, a motor for driving said turntable, a shaft extending upwardly from the centre of the turntable, a supporting surface for a stack of reserve records associated with said shaft above the turntable, cam and lever means to operate and outward displacement of said pick-up arm from the centre to the periphery of the turntable at the end of the reproduction of each record, in combination, a spring urged member inserted between said cam and lever means and said pick-up arm, said spring being dimensioned to transmit without extension the force necessary to said outward displacement when the pick-up arm is free to move, a record pressing means slidingly mounted on the upper part of the shaft and intended to maintain the records substantially perpendicular to said shaft, an out of balance arm hingedly mounted on said record pressing means and extending beyond the supporting surface above the record stack, the free extremity of said arm being adapted to rest on the uppermost record of the stack, said arm oscillating about a substantially horizontal axis between an upper angular position, when there is at least one record of reserve on the supporting surface and a lower angular position when there are no records on said supporting surface, and a stop member at said free extremity of the movable arm, said stop member being situated, for the lower angular position of the movable arm, in the way of the pick-up arm in its outward displacement, to stop said outward-displacement, said spring urged member being displaced by said camand lever means against the action of its spring when the pick-up arm is stopped by said stop member during its outward displacement, and a circuit breaker for the motor which is arranged so as to be actuated by the displacement of said spring urged member against the action of its spring to switch out the motor of the talking machine.

2. In a talking machine with automatic record changer comprising a frame, a pick-up arm ivotally mounted on said frame so as to be able to effect horizontal and vertical displacements, a pick-up head secured at the free extremity of said pick-up arm, a turntable, a motor for driving said turntable, a shaft extending upwardly from the centre of the turntable, a supporting surface for a stack of reserve records associated with said shaft above the turntable, cam and lever means to operate an outward displacement of said pick-up arm from the centre to the periphery of the turntable at the end of the reproduction of each record, in combination, record pressing means slidingly mounted on the upper part of the shaft and intended to maintain the record substantially perpendicular to said shaft, the feature that said shaft is angularly movable between two definite angular positions, the shaft being brought into its two definite angular positions by manual rotation of said record pressing means keyed thereon, an out of balance arm hingedly mounted on said record pressing means and extending beyond the sup porting surface above the record stack, the free extremity of said arm being adapted to rest on the uppermost record of the stack, said arm oscillating about a substantially horizontal axis between an upper angular position, when there is at least one record of reserve on the supporting surface and a lower angular position when there are no records on said supporting surface, and a stop member at said free extremity of the movable arm, said stop member being situated, for the lower angular position of the movable arm, in the way of the pick-up arm in its out ward displacement, to stop said outward displacement, said stop member being situated out of the path of the pick-up for the second definite angular position of the pressing means so as to allow to disengage the pick-up arm from the stop member by manual rotation of said record pressing means.

3. In a talking machine according to claim 2, a spring urged member through which said cam and lever means controls the outward displacement of said pick-up arm, said spring being dimensioned to transmit without extension the force necessary to said outward displacement when the pick-up arm is free to move, said spring urged member being displaced by said cam and lever means against the action of its spring when the pick-up arm is stopped by said stop member during its outward displacement, and a circuit- 11 12 breaker which is actuated by the displacement first definite angular position of the pressing of said spring urged member against the action means and opening said circuit for th second of its spring to switch out the motor of the talkdefinite angular position of the pressing means.

ing machine.

4. In a talking machine a c di t l i 2, 5 References Cited in the file of this patent a circuit breaker for the circuit of the motor, UNITED STATES PATENTS lever means controlling the closing and opening N b N D t of said circuit breaker through the angular dis- 81 8 G t ame t 2 0 placement of the centering shaft, said circuit es 0C a breaker closing the circuit of the motor for the m 2270995 Compare 1942 

